Hunwick is a big liability, though, because he's been giving up goals and scoring chances like mad since he's been in there. He's played soft in neutral ice and holding the point. Either he's massively rusty from sitting so much, or he's lost his mojo altogether. You can't afford a weak link that weak, can you? Even Hainsey had his moments.

I think a lot of people are focusing too much on that Florida game, which he was horrific in, for sure. And that's not say I think he's good, otherwise. Only that he's not going to be as bad down the stretch as he was in that FLA game, which I believe is good enough.

On the possibility of him being rusty, I wasn't paying particularly close attention to it myself, but I've heard he was also playing on the left side in that game. Which is supposedly his more natural side, but not the one he'd been playing most of the season.

11• What happened to Karlsson, Pacioretty deals?• Ducks, Jets had interest in Nash• Leafs never really close on McDonaghLet’s start with some Max Pacioretty. Then, we will move on to Erik Karlsson.

After Montreal’s 1-0 shootout loss to Philadelphia on Monday night, an un-traded Pacioretty passionately addressed his future. Several hours earlier, he had dropped off son Max Jr. at daycare in a Canadiens jersey.

“I’m here to tell you guys that, honestly, I hope things can work out here,” the captain said.

Pacioretty told the media that he met with GM Marc Bergevin after the deadline. While whatever was said in that conversation remains private, there is no doubt it changed his outlook. In the days and weeks leading up to Monday, Pacioretty never explicitly demanded a trade, but his feelings were well-known inside the organization.

Frustrated and tired, he was ready to go.

Bergevin didn’t make it easy. He aimed high and never wavered. It’s believed that, when Los Angeles inquired, Bergevin’s ask involved Tyler Toffoli, 2017 first-rounder Gabriel Vilardi and possibly more. The Kings quickly said no. Another belief: He asked Minnesota for Charlie Coyle-plus, also a no.

One of Pacioretty’s preferred destinations is Florida. GM Dale Tallon is close with Bergevin. I suspect the Canadiens targeted Vincent Trocheck. The Panthers weren’t doing that.

You get the idea. Montreal valued Pacioretty and refused to make a panic move at the buzzer.

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Down Goes Brown: NHL Trade Deadline winners and losersSEAN MCINDOE

NHL Power Rankings: Trade Deadline Grades EditionLUKE FOXWhat I think happened after was the captain had some time to breathe and think. He had his conversation with Bergevin. When you don’t get traded, and your team isn’t going to the playoffs, there is a choice: You can grit your teeth and push through, or you can say, “Whatever happens, I’m going to attack this with a great attitude.”

It sounds like Pacioretty is going for option B.

One source used the phrase “excited” to describe him, another used “refreshed.” He bought a home in Montreal two years ago, not the action of anyone hoping to make a getaway. He is going to try to get back to that frame of mind.

In a joyless season, the Canadiens could use an enthusiasm infusion. On every team, the captain sets a tone. Seventeen months before his contract expires, Max Pacioretty gets a chance to write a new ending.

31 THOUGHTS1. I believe there were teams who asked Bergevin about Brendan Gallagher. It sounds like those conversations were short.

2. On Karlsson, my sense is the Vegas trade fell apart because of how the purchase price would be adjusted by Bobby Ryan’s inclusion. I’m not 100 per cent sure if it was Ottawa’s ask or Vegas’s offer, but one of the rumblings is that the teams were talking two first-rounders, a high-level prospect and a conditional pick for Karlsson — the condition being whether or not the Golden Knights re-signed him. Whatever the case, it didn’t happen and I can’t imagine Vegas would have been willing to do all that if they were taking Ryan’s contract, too.

I’m one of those who believes that this was the optimum time for Ottawa to deal Karlsson, because the leverage flips to the player the closer he gets to free agency. That said, there were undoubtedly teams who said they would be able to make better offers at the draft, and that is the wager GM Pierre Dorion made. Ottawa also faces a difficult decision on its 2018 first-rounder, since, if it is not given to Colorado, the 2019 version must go to the Avalanche. Maybe someone with a high pick decides it wants Karlsson for a quick turnaround, which could solve that problem.

31 Thoughts: The PodcastSportsnet's newest podcast is a weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world. New episodes every Wednesday.Apple Podcasts | Podcatchers | Listen Now 3. So who else was in? I believe San Jose also told the Senators it could do both Karlsson and Ryan. The Sharks have a boatload of cap room. I’m not aware of any others who offered to do both. Tampa Bay obviously made a pitch, but what the Lightning did with the Rangers clearly didn’t appeal to Ottawa (more on the Rangers later).

Capitals GM Brian MacLellan admitted to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan that he “explored adding a higher-end” defenceman, and he did inquire on both Karlsson and Ryan McDonagh. Caveat: I have no idea how he was going to pull it off.

I’m convinced Nashville did more than kick tires, which could have been an all-time blockbuster. A couple of sources indicated Toronto was looking to add another first-round pick, and it would have been interesting to see what the Maple Leafs were going to do with that. Don’t know about Colorado or New Jersey, but both make sense from a logical perspective.

5. One of the major issues with the original Ottawa-Pittsburgh-Vegas Brassard deal was the various trades were not submitted in the proper order. So the Golden Knights were eating the money without technically ever having Brassard on the roster. A source from a team not involved said he spent almost an hour on the phone with an exec who helped put together the moves — and still didn’t fully understand what happened. Crazy.

The Jeff Blair ShowDream season for Golden Knights, but will April bring forth a rude awakening?Originally aired February 28 2018

Audio Player00:00 | 11:39Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.6. I do believe Pittsburgh considered McDonagh, but by the time it was reported, they’d already realized they couldn’t make it work. The rest of the Eastern Conference groaned in disappointment when the Penguins got Brassard. Can only imagine the reaction if McDonagh happened.

I'm more concerned with Crosby's low total of goals to this point. 21 goals at this juncture is alarming low for his pedigree. He should have at least 30 in the bag right now. There were 5 players on the ice last night with as many or more goals than Sid and that isn't including Bergeron.